


Worship Me

by metamorcy



Series: Within 'The Unexplainable' Universe [3]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Cults, Dark!Tsuna, Gen, Serial Killer, Tsuna isn't taking it anymore, can be considered a prequel, evil gods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-05-10 07:19:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5576341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metamorcy/pseuds/metamorcy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never having been chosen to become Vongola Decimo, Tsuna was left to suffer in Namimori alone. Misery followed him everywhere, his tormenters never too far behind. However, that changed when Tsuna finally found something (someone) to help him take care of his issues and hell, if he wasn't going to take full advantage of it. It doesn't matter what sacrifices the creature demanded, he would get a better life. No matter what. No pairing. Dark!Tsuna</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

If there was one thing Tsuna could honestly admit to himself, it was that he hated Namimori. He hated the city with a passion, one that burned on his inside, and made him want to scream out in frustration. It was the most oblivious and disrespectful town he had ever been to and he was trapped here until his mother decided otherwise (However he doubted that would ever happen since she was still hoping that his deadbeat father would one day return and if they moved, he wouldn't know where they were). The people of Namimori disliked him and his mother for being a single-parent family, ignoring the bullying that occurred in the background, and even willingly whispering despicable words to others whenever either of them walked by. The only good things about this horrid place was that crime was almost non-existent or at least very well covered. With the Disciplinary Committee running the entire show, taking over the police, people tended to remain in hiding.

Still, that didn't help Tsuna's situation.

He was bullied often (as expected), both in and out of school. The only safe haven he had was his bedroom as the rest of his house couldn't be considered _that_ anymore. Whispers continuously came through the door as people walked pass their home and eventually, his mother became a victim of them. She believed the gossip surrounding his so-called stupidity and in turn, accused him of never trying, while ignoring all those that were directed towards her. It wasn't fair. Yes, he wasn't the smartest child out there, but he honestly tried his best to succeed. The only issue was that he had fallen behind further and further with each new material and with no one there to help, it eventually became pointless. It wasn't completely his fault. How could he understand the new material that connected to the previous one when he didn't even get that?

Things began to rapidly change when he came across an old book while hiding up at Namimori shrine from his bullies. He had been chased from school and had sought refuge in the old beaten up building, waiting patiently for them to leave by peeking out from the corners. Just as they did, his infamous clumsiness decided to bite back by getting his foot caught on a loose board, crashing downward onto the old floor. The force, his weight, and the age of the wood made it give way and he went spiraling through the boards, letting out a high-pitched scream as he tumbled. Dust covered his vision momentarily and he coughed, sitting up to wave his arms around in an attempt to help clear his vision. Luckily, he hadn't been hurt by the fall, just a small scrape on his right elbow from where he had landed. As the dust began to settle, he noticed that he hadn't exactly gone through the floor boards to the earthy ground below like he had expected, but to another layer hidden underneath.

Tsuna blinked in question, curious as to why there was something like this in the first place. He hadn't heard much about the Namimori shine from the locals or books, just the basics and whatever they sprouted during the festivals. Regardless, he seemed to be the only one that found the holes in the stories a little odd, though not worth noting. Glancing around the small layer, just enough to squeeze an adult through by crawling, he spotted something out of the corner of his eyes. For a moment, he thought he heard a ghostly whisper, but hastily shook his head, believing it to the creaking of the wood and rustling of the wind through the broken pieces. In the very corner, there was, what he believed to be, a small book tucked away as if it had been purposefully hidden away. Tsuna suspected so if it was in this hidden second layer.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he got onto his hands and knees and crawled under the still intact upper layer (considering he made a hole only in the center). As he got closer, he could make out the item better in the darkness and indeed it was a book, a small brown book. He reached out to grasp the item once he was close enough and tugged it towards him, scooting back to the center to examine the book better. Humming gently to himself, he shuffled out of the hole he had created, momentarily peeking out of the shrine area to see if anyone had heard his scream (his bullies specifically) and was relieved to see the outskirts completely void of life.

Using this small moment of freedom, he glanced back down at the book he had picked up and examined the cover. It was small, about the size of his hand, but there were no words or pictures on the protective layer to help identify its origin or what exactly it was about. Blinking curiously, tempted to open the book, he peered down momentarily at his backpack to see what time it was before turning back to the open area in front of the shrine. It was late, no one around, but he wasn't going to be taking any chances. He didn't want to be ambushed or attacked again on the way home while in the dark.

Stepping out from inside the shrine, he took a momentary glance at the book before tucking it into his backpack. His eyes peered over the setting sky and sighed heavily. He needed to get home before his mother noticed his disappearance and worried about him. At the same time, being late kept his mother from asking too many questions he didn't want to hear at all. Sighing, he tugged his backpack further up his shoulders and grasped the handles before taking off.

He could take a look at the book once he was in the safety of his room.

* * *

Tsuna stared at the insides of the book, staring in wonder. The pages inside were faded yellow, clearly showing its age, and yet the words and pictures within were fully intact. It was like the ink had been missed by the age, never fading or disappearing. None of the pages were torn or missing, completely intact. It was odd, but Tsuna pushed it out of his mind. The only thing that caught him by surprise was the old style of Japanese it used. He could luckily make out most of it by similarities and what he couldn't, he could figure out by connecting the phrases and dots between the sentences.

He had arrived home in time for dinner (just how he liked it), still earning a scolding for coming back late before settling at the table. It was nothing new. He was used to it by now, and simply ignored it by habit. During dinner, Nana had asked the same questions every meal and Tsuna simply ignored them.

"How was school?"

"Anything new you want to say?"

" _Do you have any friends yet_?"

" _ **Did you actually pass something for once**_?"

Tsuna remained quiet throughout the entire interrogation, stuffing his mouth as an excuse to keep quiet. The moment he was done, he excused himself with the need to complete his homework and headed upstairs to his bedroom to hide. He locked the door behind out of habit. Talking to his mother while trapped in his room with her never ended well and he had learned that the hard way. At least if she tried to talk to him through the door, he could avoid it by putting music on and cover the demanding questions. The earlier he did it, the better.

Which left him with plenty of time to examine his newfound book instead of actually doing his homework for the night (it wasn't going to matter anyway).

Spilling out the contents of his backpack on the floor, he spotted the item he was looking for and picked it up. His honey-colored eyes went over the front and back cover carefully once more, scratching at the leather binding to see if maybe the title and author had faded away, but no, there just wasn't anything there. Opening the first page, he read out the text.

"To those that find this book, beware. This is not for the weak, but for those that desire heavily. To make a wish, you must make a trade in return."

He flipped the page to the next one and continued.

"Darkness dwells in everyone, no matter how young or how old. It swirls within, corrupting all that is considered good. It is contagious and it slowly eats away at the very soul until there is nothing left behind but a shell of what was. Beware of the creatures of the night."

Tsuna shivered, suddenly feeling the temperature in the room rapidly dropping. He peered around cautiously, wrapping his arms around his body to keep warm, before finally relenting and getting the blankets on his bed to cover him. The temperature didn't change, the coldness unsettling. The room was empty except for him after all. Shrugging his shoulders, he flipped to the next page to see an image of a circle. It looked like something used for summoning, something that was seen on a TV show that called out demons or gods. This one was more detailed, etched in by a thin pen to show the refinedness of the circle. It wasn't something he recognized from any show. Perhaps this book belonged to a cult or something in the past? That sounded about right.

'Should I really be looking at this?' Shaking his head in denial, he continued. He wanted to know more about this little book. He couldn't help but want to know. He flipped the page, seeing more.

"Pray to the God of Demise, Destruction, and Death. Let him hear your cries of despair. If your desires are true and strong, he shall listen and appear before you."

Swallowing, he shifted in his seat. This didn't sound good, not at all, and yet he couldn't pull himself away from the book. The three big D's were already threatening and he could tell that whatever this cult had been worshipping, it wasn't good. He flipped to the next page to see scribbles that didn't make any sense to him at all, in a language completely different. Connected to it were drawings of what appeared to be the ritual to worship this so-called god. The sacrifice was vague, but it seemed to range widely from animals to the user's own body. He flipped through those pages quickly.

It wasn't until he came up to a certain page that made him pause. It was a drawing of a doorway with what looked like a man standing in the middle of the entrance way. The being was blocked out completely in black, like it had been scratched out, and left Tsuna unable to identify anything about the figure. However, the upper features of the face made Tsuna tremble in fear. He didn't understand why but he did. All that was obvious of the face was the large white eyes that looked like they came out of a scratchy horror show and a wide grin that was unnatural by how it stretched across the face.

Immediately, he slammed the book closed and tossed it underneath his bed. He didn't want to see that image again. It just...unsettled his very being. It was like the creature on the page was watching him from those very eyes.

Not wanting to focus on the subject or the image, he ripped out his homework from the scattered remains of what he spilled out from his backpack and immediately set to work. He needed to distract himself and _now_. He ignored the coldness of the room by pulling the blanket closer, as if shielding him from the darkness.

* * *

The next day, Tsuna could feel something watching him from behind. He didn't know exactly what, but there was something there, following him in the background no matter where he went. It didn't matter if it was at school, the bathroom, to the store, or even in his own bedroom, it was there. Tsuna would peer around hesitatingly, wondering where it was coming from exactly, but there was never anything there. He felt constant shivers along with the goosebumps that sprouted on his skin whenever the gaze shifted closer, making him almost want to scream. It was like he was franticly becoming paranoid, glancing behind him in class or over the shoulder as he walked down the streets and even opening doors to see if there was someone on the other side watching. No one noticed the drastic change, not as if anyone really paid attention to him in the first place.

It happened for a week and he desperately wanted to find the person responsible, but who? And how? He didn't have any friends, his teachers made fun of him, and his own mother didn't care. There weren't any clues either that could lead him towards the culprit. He was left alone in misery and question as he sought out the answers himself.

Trying to ignore the sensation had been hard and the only time it left him alone was when he went to bed. He could practically feel the gaze peeling away, leaving him alone for once after an entire day of observing. He sighed heavily in relief each and every time. Before long, he pushed it aside once the two week mark hit, figuring out that it was just gazing, never more. It obviously had no intentions on revealing itself to him.

_Until the day it did._

Tsuna had been heading to school one morning when he noticed a shadow out of the corner of his eyes. Spinning around, he nearly let out a scream in distress. There, hiding in one of the neighbor's front yard, was the ghostly darkness he had seen in the pictures of the little brown covered book. It was nearly identical and there was no mistaking that creepy grin. Whimpering, he spun around and ran for it, never stopping until he was in the safe confines of the school. He ignored the glances he got from the people he passed by, unbothered by them as he knew they wouldn't care about him anyway. It was only when he got into the school entrance that he looked back.

 _It was still there_.

The shadow creature had followed along like nothing had happened. No one else seemed to notice it, walking by as if it was invisible. It was still grinning, still looking at him with those large white eyes, and stood above his fellow classmates by a foot and a half in height. It was like a child had scribbled the being into existence by the way the edges around the creature flickered. Paling and looking sick to his stomach, he ran once more.

 _It never left him_.

The creature followed him to class, standing in the background, and Tsuna would glance back momentarily before snapping back to the front. He could just feel the evil radiating from the being and he was reminded of the cult book he had found. Darkness. This happened because of the cursed book, right? Because he took it home and read it. Because he couldn't control his curiosity of the unknown. He wanted to cry. If only he hadn't found it, if only he had pushed it aside, if only his clumsiness wasn't so bad. However, there wasn't any way to fix the past. He was trapped because of his decisions and he had to deal with it all alone.

Still, the creature just remained there, never really moving any closer than what was necessary. This time, it did leave him alone more often as if it was consciously aware of when its presence was inappropriate.

It just watched, observing and examining him. It was just like last time when it was just gazing, except now physically there to be seen.

The bullying didn't help with his issues. Kensuke Mochida had taken great pleasure in making his life a living hell since the first time they had met. Many times, his book bag would go missing, only to be returned dirtied or found in either the pool or dumpster. His desk would be written all over with permanent marker, details relating to his stupidity, and even cursing him out. The laughter and remarks against him made Tsuna tilt his head downward to hurry by, wanting to escape before anything got dreadful. However, the most frightening was when the black haired teen physically attacked him and over time, the attacks escalated. It was like Mochida was purposefully searching him out for a confrontation just to torment him as a stress relief for the day or because he wanted to see someone suffer. He would come back home covered in bruises and cuts, hiding each and every one of them carefully from his mother, who would just get upset at seeing them. The bullying had gone on long before he found the book, only finding said item because he had been chased by Mochida to that very shine that changed his life.

Things oddly had a tendency to circle around.

Two days after the creature showed itself, he got cornered by Mochida and his little gang of buddies (four in total with Mochida). It had been on his way home from school, the one time he had been distracted by his failing test papers (his fingers were clenched angrily at each as he held every one of them). He hadn't noticed the upcoming teenagers trailing behind him until it was too late.

When he had been grabbed from behind by the hair and yanked into a closed off alleyway, he knew he was in trouble. He knew he would get it and he definitely did. Beaten, bleeding all over his clothes and the floor, he coughed as he curled up on himself to protect his insides. He was certain he had suffered a fractured wrist as well as an ankle by the way it was all swollen at the edges and his head was aching from the forceful tugs on his hair.

He hated them all. _Hated_. _Them_.

The last straw that finally broke him was when one of the boys yanked his head back by the hair once more, forcing his body into an awkward sitting position, and made him involuntary gaze up at the sky. He sneered, both in anger and in pain. Everything hurt.

Why? What had he ever done to deserve such a fate? To deserve such harsh bullying.

It wasn't fair.

"Looks like Dame-Tsuna needs a bath!" Mochida's laughter echoed in his ear and the alleyway, sending a shiver down the brunet's spine. "And I know the perfect liquid to use!"

There was a snap as a can was opened and some sizzling following right afterwards. Tsuna managed to catch a glimpse of the item, a coke, and glared at the four teens the best he could, which wasn't much considering his position. Laughter continued, blending into one, and Tsuna could do nothing but listen in misery as he knew what would happen next. His body was too weak to put up much of a resistance, his struggling taken care of by the other two teens at his sides. Mochida stepped closer, grinning evilly and holding the can above his head.

Tsuna hated them, all of them.

He wished they were dead.

He prayed, wished, desired, whatever it was, with all his heart that they were gone.

He wanted them to suffer, to pay for all they have done to him, to burn.

 _To suffer in absolute misery_.

The can tilted and he was burned as the liquid poured over his face, drenching his clothes more so than before. He let out some yelps, still trying to struggle, but nothing worked. Some of it slipped into his mouth and nose and he gagged, coughing to get it out. As he opened his mouth a couple of times to do so, Mochida made it his purpose to take advantage of the opening.

By the time it ended, Tsuna was shoved to the side and kicked a few more times before being spat on. They finally left once they had their fill for the day, leaving the brunet on the ground, stone cold in despair. Once they were out of the alleyway, Tsuna finally broke down.

He cried.

And cried.

And cried.

 _Why_?

_**Why** _ **?**

" _Pray to me, child_."

Tsuna's honey-colored eyes snapped up towards the entrance. He froze, ignoring the sensation of his tears falling down his face, and simply stared at the creature that had been following him ever since it appeared. It simply stood at the entrance, its shadow sliding across the ground until it reached him on the floor. The grin remained.

In all honesty, Tsuna had barely even registered what the creature had spoken in the first place. His mind was still processing that the other could actually speak at all.

"Pray to me and grant me a sacrifice." The creature spoke once more. Its voice was male. The tone was calm, but Tsuna could register that there was a strain within it, like it wanted to act on something but couldn't. "And I shall grant you your desire."

Tsuna shivered as a cold breeze came bustling into the space, the soaked clothes not helping.

The creature stepped forward, his movements absolutely silent. "You want to see those boys suffer like you have."

Another step.

"You want them to be as miserable as they made you feel."

Another step.

"To feel despair."

Step.

"To feel pain."

Step.

" _To suffer_."

The monster stood before him and bended down at the waist, legs perfectly straight. Their faces were mere inches apart and even then, all Tsuna could see was the blackness and those white eyes and smile.

" _You want them to_ _ **Die**_ _, don't you_?"

Tsuna quivered into place, his legs and arms feeling like Jell-O. He couldn't speak, too afraid to do so.

The creature chuckled, never pulling back. "I can do that for you, but I require a sacrifice. Grant me that and I shall fulfill that desire."

The brunet remained quiet for a little bit longer, his mind speeding through multiple thoughts. Death...This is a God...A God of Demise, Destruction, and... _Death_. His mind reflected back to the boys that had tormented him, back to his miserable life, back to this retched town of Namimori.

The choice was obvious.

He momentarily grinded his teeth together before answering "What must I do?" His face was contorted into anger. He wanted this.

He wanted _this_.

He needed _this_.

The grin grew wider, if that was even possible. "Offer your blood. Stab yourself to show the mark of our deal. That shall be sufficient for the time being."

Without any hesitation, Tsuna glanced around the area for something sharp. With a small reflection from the sunlight that was reflecting off the passing cars beyond the alleyway, he spotted broken pieces of glass. Crawling over, ignoring the pains in his body, he grasped it into his right hand and peered over it carefully. It looked like it had been broken off quite recently, probably before the incident, the insides still clean. The rest of the bottle was near the side, the un-evaporated fluids resting within that hadn't been spilled out from the cracks. Honey-colored eyes gazed down at the jagged end of the blade, almost in the shape of a triangle, with the bottom obviously more pointed. Getting up into a sitting position, he angled the blade downwards towards his left hand. His eyes showed a slight flash of hesitation and peered up to the creature once more.

He was going to stab himself. He was going to go it for revenge.

The creature chuckled, "Oh go on, child. I'm waiting."

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna plunged the blade into his hand and screamed soon after. It burns! It burns! Tsuna's tears began to well up once more at the excruciating pain, still screaming out his lungs. The creature simply watched like it found the entire situation amusing. It probably was to him. The brunet cradled the injured hand, bending forward to hide it against his body. Blood dripped off the end of his fingertips and the surrounding edges of the blade, coloring his clothes.

Once he managed to calm down, he peered down at the hand and immediately felt like he wanted to vomit. The angle was horrible, still sticking out from both ends of his hand. His body was shaking in response, the pain in his limb overriding anything he was previously suffering. Shakily grasping the top end, he took a few deep breaths and looked up towards the sky, at the creature, before pulling it out completely.

He screamed once more and the creature just continued to smile.

"Hold out the hand before you."

Among his screaming, Tsuna did as he was told. Blood was dripping down everywhere and the gaping hole in his hand didn't help. He could see bone, muscles, veins, everything and Tsuna snapped his eyes downward to keep himself from looking. A growing pool of red was collecting underneath the outstretched limb, his expression reflected off the surface. As he began to calm down, much slower this time, he eyed the puddle curiously. It had shifted, not from the droplets that were falling down but from something within. The creature chuckled darkly. The blood began to move like it was alive and had a mind of its own, slowly creeping upward in a straight line. It soon began to spread out, creating something circular in shape and the blood in the center began to retract back to create markings within. It was small in size but the image was clear to Tsuna's eyes because he had seen it before. It was the ritual symbol that belonged to the cult book. Once everything had been created perfectly, the line connecting it between the symbol and the puddle of his blood broke and tugged backwards. The circle was perfect.

"Touch it with your wounded hand and the deal shall be complete."

Tsuna sniffed, but complied, placing it down. The moment he did, the circle underneath glowed brightly, blinding him temporarily, and then the pain vanished completely. He blinked curiously. The pain, the burning sensation that was left behind, it was all gone. How? Lifting his hand up off the floor, he could immediately tell that the wound was gone and a scar was left behind in its place. Curious, he turned his hand over to the underside and stared in wonder. The symbol had been burned into his hand, like it had been tattooed perfectly, and he flexed the limb momentarily to simply watch in awe.

"The deal is now complete. I shall take care of everything." The creature rotated around and disappeared into the darkness of the buildings, leaving Tsuna alone in the alleyway. The brunet was still shaky, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible and yet he had done it without wavering.

He had just made a deal with a monster.

Slowly, he stood up and realized something else the moment he did so. The pain that should have come from the rest of his body was gone as well. He pulled his shirt up to see where the bullies had kicked him and though he recognized the bruises, there was nothing. He flexed his supposedly fractured ankle, nothing.

Smiling in glee, he ran home, wondering what tomorrow would bring. Luckily for him, it was the weekend.

* * *

"This just coming in, a body was found tied to the outside of a local home early this morning, now identified as Kensuke Mochida. He's a student that attends Namimori middle school. Police are suspecting of murder due to the grotesque disfiguration of the victim. We have some images of the body, please be advised on the gruesome sightings when viewing them."

Images flashed of the brutal murder of the teenager, disfigured beyond recognition. Cuts littered the body, the limbs clearly having been ripped off violently by evidence of the tears before being reattached together by some dirty pieces of string. It was obvious that the murderer had taken careful consideration on the placement of the needle, piercing the flesh deep enough to hurt. The body was crucified upside down, letting all the blood drain downward. His head was wrapped tightly with what looked like a plastic garbage bag (only ripped apart to help identify the corpse). The chest cavity had been torn open. The insides pulled out like the murderer had wanted the world to see everything within. Flies were buzzing around the corpse, the scent inviting for them despite the numerous officers attempting to keep them away.

It was clear as day that Kensuke Mochida had been tortured to his dying breath.

Tsuna stared at the screen, his eyes never leaving the images. He absorbed all the marks, all the cuts, all the stitches, _everything_.

And then he laughed.

It wasn't amused one, no. It was a happy with a tint of madness.

He laughed and laughed and laughed. He laughed until his throat burned in agony, until he could barely make a sound any longer, and yet he continued regardless.

He was glad that his mother had gone out for groceries so she couldn't hear him as he broke further.

"My wish came true! It really did!" Tsuna calmed down in mere chuckles, eyes wide with glee. "I can't believe it!"

"There are three more to take care of."

Tsuna snapped his head around in shock, not expecting his shadowy stalker to appear now of all times and inside his home. However, there was no fear in his eyes any longer. The brunet smiled, taking in the same expression the other always wore. "This won't...come back to haunt me, will it?"

"Of course not." The grin didn't move as he spoke and the head tilted to the side. Tsuna didn't sense any lying from the other. "How could you have done such a horrible deed when you came back home injured, under the constant surveying of your mother. The murder happened late last night. You were having dinner at that time." The figure stepped around, heading towards the TV, and outstretched his hand towards the brutal images. "And the rest of the four will follow soon after. I require time though and to, perhaps, take care of some others in this town. I want to make sure that there's no possible connection to you. Let the people of Namimori feel fear of their own impending doom and downfall."

Tsuna felt his face sliding upward to match the monster's grin. He could watch all his bullies suffer, make them feel exactly how he felt all this time, and it would be _glorious_.

The creature peered down at the screen as if gazing over his handy work before looking right back up. "Listen closely, boy." That got Tsuna's attention. "I am known as Sinister, a God compared to you, mortal, yet also a demon. Worship me and give me the sacrifices I request and I shall fulfill your requests as long as they interest me."

The teenager stared in wonder, eyes wide.

"However, do not get above yourself or I will bring about your downfall, boy." The creature stepped away from the TV, moving closer. He bent down before the brunet. "You understand that, Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

The grin got wider.

Tsuna smiled in return. " _Understood_ ~"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one long chapter and it has a LOT of things happening. By the way, this story is only 4 chapters long. I don't want to work on anything too lengthy since I'm still focusing on my other stories.
> 
> Beta'd by Pure Red Crane

It's been six months since Tsuna's first initial meeting with Sinister and things had rapidly changed for the better (in its own little twisted version). There were some minor setbacks, but those were bearable compared to how things were before, a drastic improvement. Life was somewhat better and Namimori was significantly changing in response to Tsuna's own happiness.

As Sinister had requested, the brunet worshipped the God in glee and acceptance. He built a small shrine in the back of his closet, hidden by his messy clothes, which contained used candles with a matchbox and the little brown book. A large piece of broken glass was nailed to the wall that contained the ritual symbol drawn onto it in his own blood, the same symbol that had been tattooed onto his left hand. It really was a cult (run by one person with only one member), but Tsuna was beginning to think that all religions themselves were cults at the start before they grew in popularity along with the questionable Gods they worshipped. Only difference was that his was actually there doing something instead of idiotic people believing in some divine being that was watching them from above.

His hand that contained the mark was constantly bandaged up, using his clumsiness and accident-prone self as an excuse to prevent people from asking too many questions. It wasn't as if people really cared about him, or actually worried about him, but a few people in class noticed. Well, the ones that were generally too nosy for their own good did, speaking up to see what stupid thing he had done this time to make fun of.

After all, no one expected much from Dame-Tsuna and even when the murders began to happen like clockwork, no one spun towards him in suspicion. They peered around him, through him, as if he was some invisible being not even worth a second glance, much less a first. Regardless, that worked out perfectly fine with him and took full advantage of it. He would never be considered a suspect in his own murders because everyone in town assumed he was too pathetic to do such a thing.

Slowly, as time went on, he began to change on the inside. He grew colder in personality, harsher, and suspicious of all those that surrounded him. Distrust of everyone heightened, believing they were all out to get him, and some days, Tsuna was absolutely right in his paranoia as people continued to bully him. The hatred he had festered for everyone, for this damn town, was now bubbling out uncontrollably and the only times when he was able to calm his mind, push that anger aside, was when he worshipped Sinister. Luckily for him, he hid his activities well and the madness that was beginning to grow within him after each and every kill simply made him smile in contentment.

In six months, he had killed a total of ten people, including the original four that were the bullies that had tormented him at the very beginning. Some of the others had been adults that caused him harm and misfortune, from his teachers to the store clerk that pushed him around whenever he went out grocery shopping, making him drop all the fragilities to the floor to purposefully shatter. Even with all those that had disappeared, he still wanted _more_ to suffer how he had, to feel just for a short moment how tormented he was on the inside. The only thing that prevented him from going out on a full murder spree was Sinister's advice, who had begun to talk to him regularly, to spread out the kills to prevent suspicion. Though he was less likely to be considered as a serial killer (that was what the public was calling him and Sinister), he didn't want to take any chances. It wasn't like they had any proof of him doing the murders. It was all on Sinister, but the interactions between him and the victims could become a possible connection. He wanted to continue tormenting this retched town until it was drained dry.

It wasn't long before a curfew was arranged into effect to prevent anymore killings, as they all occurred in the middle of the night, but Tsuna would just laugh out of amusement at their pathetic attempts to stay safe. Sinister could kill anyone, at any time, at any place, and it wasn't as if anyone could actually see him. So it continued.

The Disciplinary Committee was patrolling constantly, Hibari personally making his rounds in an endeavor to catch the serial killer. It was clear that the very thought of something like this occurring for so long, under his nose, with no one able to bring up any details of the said killer, was frustrating. Still, Tsuna didn't bother with any of them. They had never come after him personally like everyone else and sometimes even accidently helped when he got cornered by bullies in the past. There was also the fact that it was more thrilling if there was someone hunting him out. As such, he never targeted them, returning the favor.

Though, Tsuna had noticed the odd glances he had gained from Hibari Kyoya, those steel gray eyes observing him curiously from a distance. However, the brunet never reacted to him and continued on, ignoring the skylark completely. He would sometimes throw a teasing smile towards the other decisively, taunting the other, and send a wave as if daring the other to come closer to investigate. Hibari's eyes would narrow at the temptation, following his movements, but never reacted.

Obviously, his relationship with his mother began to deteriorate further, the brutal murders cracking her fragile mental state. A few had been friends or people she had known through daily greetings and the more that were killed, the more those cracks surfaced. They avoided each other completely when they were at home and she would sometimes stare out of the window like a doll, settled either in her bed or couch. It was like she was trapped within, dressed in the same clothes she had worn yesterday and the day before that and the day before that. She was falling apart before his very eyes. Over time, Nana forgot many things: her meals, her physical upkeep, cleaning, and many more. She even forgot about him and that was fine with Tsuna. It was the times that she remembered that caused issues. It was when she became a nightmare that forced Tsuna to lock and barricade his bedroom door to prevent her from getting inside. Her eyes would gaze at him constantly and Tsuna knew almost immediately what they were conveying.

She wanted him gone.

She wanted him to disappear.

She wanted him to become one of the serial killer's victims.

Tsuna almost laughed and instead just grinned darkly in return, knowing it would just further unnerve her.

Showing any restraint didn't matter any longer.

 _It wasn't as if they were a family, never have and never will_.

They simply existed in the same house, under the same roof, shared the same items and materials. They didn't converse, avoiding each other as if it was a plague. They didn't care any longer and Tsuna was willing to allow his so-called mother to rot away.

After the twelfth murder, Iemitsu, his damn father, decided to make his nonexistent presence known and take them on a vacation far away from Namimori for two weeks to stay at his boss' mansion. It was obvious that the brutality had finally reached Iemitsu's ears and he worried about his family that he hadn't seen in years becoming the next victims. He was foolishly willing to open his tiny family to assassination attacks from other mafia famiglias once they learned of their existence even if it meant to save their lives. To the CEDEF boss, he believed wholeheartedly he could always hire bodyguards to protect his family in the background and so, he whisked them away.

The two family members agreed easily and left the very next day after the phone call of the vacation, the tickets fully paid. The uneasiness between mother and son was hidden well from those they interacted with unless they came prodding too closely. They didn't speak to each other unless it was necessary. The plane ride went well, if not silent, and at the airport, they were immediately picked up in a limousine to be brought to the mansion. Apparently, it was one of Iemitsu's colleagues that wasinside, not the man himself, and it was clear to Tsuna's eyes that Nana was sorely disappointed. The fragile state she was in was carefully held together in the presence of others, but the brunet knew that sooner or later she would crumble, never to be put back together again. No one spoke up for the entire ride except for the basic of introductions, eyes looking everywhere than at each other. There was no reaction among them until they reached the mansion where both Sawadas stared out of the windows in wonder at the impending household.

It wasn't a mansion. No, the size of it was more of a castle.

Tsuna stared skeptically. His father's boss owned _this_?

Eyeing the area in disbelief, he huffed. Maybe he could believe the boss owned the place, but what offset everything was the numerous heavily armed guards that were stationed everywhere. Every single one of them had a loaded gun, most poorly concealed within their jackets, and they stood around imposingly as if waiting for a sudden attack. Tsuna heavily sighed, immediately deciding that whatever his father and his boss dealt with was no way legal or at least in the background of their business. Digging oil or navigating traffic around the world (which Tsuna fully refused to believe was true) didn't earn _anything_ like this. People would not have this many guards with weapons if they were doing something legal.

" _That's because it's the mafia_."

Tsuna snapped his head up, peering around for the source of the voice. He knew it could only belong to Sinister, but he didn't see the creature anywhere. Where had the voice come from? He was still in the car, being driven up the large driveway. The teen didn't get an answer in return.

Still, mafia...

Tsuna smirked, well that would explain _everything_.

As the vehicle parked at the front entrance of the castle, large wooden doors at the top of the stairs opened wide, revealing Iemitsu at long last. The blond male stepped out, dressed in a classy business suit that looked far too expensive to be normal, and grinned brightly as the two family members carefully stepped out of the car and the driver helped with their luggage. For Tsuna, Iemitsu looked like nothing from the memories he had of him long ago and it wasn't as if it was really clear in the first place. He wasn't exactly pleased to see him, already having a sense that awkward conversations would be brought up by the end of the day, if not now. He was broken out of his thoughts when his mother cried out.

"Darling!" Nana's smile was bright, clearly relieved that she could at last see her husband in person after so many years and ran up the stairs to hug him tightly around the waist. Tsuna ignored the show of affection and turned to the driver to thank him, grabbing his only set of luggage to drag up the stairs. "This place is amazing! Your boss must be rich to afford everything! I'm so proud of you for working with such a great man!"

Iemitsu laughed heartedly at his wife's clinginess, twirling his wife around in a circle, while Tsuna simply toned the two idiots out, feeling sick at the display. He didn't want to hear what type of excuses his father would weave around idiotically to explain everything away, explain why he was always gone, why he never called. It wasn't worth the trouble or the time. While his parents continued in the background, his honey-colored eyes examined the place thoroughly from his location, stepping up the stairs to get a better look of the insides. His face was blank, lips in a straight line, and ran his eyes over the various goods within. More guards with weapons, more suspicions on the setting, and it was obvious that the men were gazing at the family members questionably. Though, it was more specifically at the lovey-dovey display of affections from the two beside him.

"What's this, Tsuna? Don't recognize your own father anymore?" Iemitsu's voice broke his son's train of thought, getting the brunet to glance over at his father at long last.

The teenager shrugged his shoulders. "I guess not. It _has_ been a long time."

Iemitsu winced at the lack of warmth, clearly a little put off by the reaction, but he continued on. Nana, on the other hand, didn't say or do anything to reprehend him for the lack of respect and remained attached to her husband, not even wanting to look or interact with her son. "Well, you two will have the honor of joining my boss and his four sons for dinner tonight since it's so late already. You both must be starving. Ah, but before that, let me show you where you'll be staying. My darling wife can stay with me and my little Tuna-fish can have his own. He's a big boy now, right?"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the nickname, almost sneering automatically in response. He rolled his eyes soon after instead and spun around, walking a head. "Just show the way, I'd like to get settled in first if we're going to be here for two weeks."

"A-Ah, alright." Iemitsu didn't exactly know how to respond to the harshness Tsuna emitted, the child before him completely different than the one he remembered. It only made things obvious that things had changed during the time he had been away, hardly knowing his son anymore. Tsuna wasn't that bright cheerful child anymore, now hardened as if uncaring of the world.

He just didn't realize just how _ghastly_ of a change had occurred until it was too late.

* * *

Tsuna peered around the enormous dining room table curiously, his eyes examining each and every person at the long table. It was clear that everyone besides himself and his mother were high class individuals just by the appearances of their merchandise and three-piece suits, living in a world neither of them belonged too. The servants and finery of the furniture, even the gold utensils, seemed to make that obvious. Everything was fancy, from the paintings and the softness of the sheet fabrics of the bed in his bedroom to the vases and gold trimming that lined the hallway. It was so candidly obvious.

Timoteo, Vongola Nono (at least that's what Iemitsu called him), was evidently the head of the group and he smiled warmly at the Sawada family the moment they entered the dining room. The introductions between the two families had been quick, just the passing of names, before they settled at the table to be served by the working men and woman of the kitchen. As plates were passed around, Tsuna peered at Timoteo curiously. It was well hidden, but he could easily sense a strong pulsing of power surrounding the man despite the gentle appearance. "So, Tsuna," The brunet knew he had been caught staring. "The last time I saw you, you were only six years old, I believe. You sure have grown up over the years."

The teenager blinked, glancing down momentarily at his supposed appetizer as he pushed it around plate with his fork absently. "Yeah..." What else was he supposed to respond with? He barely knew the man or remembered him, just like his own father. His honey-colored eyes glanced towards the four sons in hopes of distracting himself, the oldest being Enrico, the second oldest Massimo, the third Federico, with the youngest being Xanxus. They all appeared savvy looking, three obviously belonging to the same wife, while the last one, Xanxus, appeared a little off in terms of looks. Two of the four were a bit scary looking, like they were ready to murder someone, while Federico was just smiling along like nothing was wrong. Tsuna wasn't fazed by any of them, already knowing true terror. Especially considering Sinister, who was standing in the corner of the room after physically reappearing, white eyes watching like always. He honestly hadn't expected the creature to follow him so closely, but he pushed it out of his mind soon after, grateful that Sinister was with him than being left alone.

Despite Tsuna's attempts of diversion, Timoteo wasn't disturbed by his lack of response as his lips slid upward. "So, last I heard, you're in middle school. You have about a year and a half left until high school, right? How has that been going?"

Tsuna didn't enjoy having all the questions thrown towards him, nor did he like having all the attention focused solely on him. Oddly, everyone else remained quiet, even those that looked like they wanted to storm out (the sons). "It's fine. It's just school."

Iemitsu decided to cut in. "Nana told me you've been struggling with your grades. Have you gotten any better?" The grin on his face spoke of hope as if wanting to know that his son wasn't useless and pathetic from the reports he got on his family.

Tsuna, however, froze. His eyes snapped over harshly, enough so that Iemitsu flinched at the force. There flash of anger within those honey-colored eyes before it was gone as Tsuna's turned his attention back to his dish before him. "I'd rather not talk about it." That immediately shut down the conversation topic, leaving behind silence.

The group was slightly perturbed after such a denial, but didn't show it, or they didn't bother (mainly the sons). Instead, they tried to drift the conversation to themselves as they spoke about their accomplishments, their days, and how their friends were doing. They laughed about some stories regarding their childhood and then the appetizer plate was switched out for a main course. It was small in size, obviously meant not to fill. As everyone contentedly chatted, Tsuna blurred his surroundings and simply ate. It was easier this way than to get himself involved.

His eyes momentarily glanced at his left hand that held the ritual symbol, still bandaged up like always. He made sure to change them whenever they got dirty and if there was one thing he had a lot of, it was bandages. Since the killings had started, he had been mostly left alone by his classmate and bullies, no one bothering with each other anymore since everyone was terrified of being the next victim. They ran to class from home and back for safety. No one wanted to stay late unless necessary and considering that three-fourths of the victims came from Namimori middle school, it didn't make the situation any better. Police suspected that it had to be a teacher or student, the only one that could get around, but then another killing would happen, throwing everything they knew out the window.

Enrico happened to notice the bandages and spoke up curiously, gaining some attention from everyone else as he drew them back to the brunet. "Hey, Tsuna, what happened to your hand, if you don't mind me asking?"

The brunet peered up for a second before looking right back down. "I fell and injured it." Short and straight to the point. It didn't leave any openings to continue.

This time Nana peered over, never once noticing he had bandages on, despite living under the same roof or sitting next to him on the airplane. "Such a clumsy boy." Her smile was bright and perfect, but Tsuna knew better, he could see the cracks around it. She immediately turned back to her husband, not even bothering to question further on the injury.

Everyone noticed the blunt avoidance but none brought it up. Anyone could distinguish the tension between the two family members, a rift between mother and son. They noticed the way neither of them looked at each other unless necessary or the way they would unconsciously shift away.

This time Timoteo tried to push the conversation to another topic just as another plate of food was brought out. The tension was thick in the air, though nothing obvious had caused it and it only grew worse. Everyone could tell exactly where it was coming from, but they remained quiet on the subject. Even Xanxus, who was generally the loud mouth of the four sons, was unnaturally silent. "So Iemitsu told me that there's been a serial killer on the loose in your home town, yes? Is that why he brought you here?"

Nana nodded, answering while looking a little pale, and raised a hand up to her lips. "Yes, there's been a total of twelve victims within a span of six months. All very sad and brutal cases."

Iemitsu took that to butt in to further expand on the details. "Apparently, the sick bastard is torturing his victims violently, stringing them up like puppets for display for the world to see. I've seen a couple of the images of what the bodies looked like afterwards. It goes beyond anything I've ever seen before." That snapped everyone's attention. They were in the mafia. Torture was common among them to gather information they needed from their enemies. To disturb even Iemitsu, that had to say something. "There hasn't really been a pattern on the murders and the method on each body is different. It's almost like its random or even opportunity."

Tsuna almost wanted to laugh, but kept still, his eyes downcast at his plate. He continued to eat, not letting himself give away anything.

"I knew a few of them, one being a good friend of mine." Nana started and Tsuna almost snorted. Friend? Oh please. Her 'friend' had made fun of them constantly and even straight up in Nana's face. She would whisper horrible things in the background, give the town of Namimori more reasons to harass them. She was a pain in the ass and he was glad to have her permanently gone. "A few went to school with Tsuna, one being his teacher."

Ah yes, his teacher Nezu had been one he wanted to kill off for a _long_ time. The man always picked on him for humiliation, laughing with the classroom as he twisted his low test scores around for everyone to see. Then Nezu would call him out during class, knowing he wouldn't be able to answer the questions on the board. He purposefully helped his classmates make his life as miserable as possible. Tsuna didn't hesitate in committing on that one.

Sinister chuckled ominously in the background as if reading his thoughts and at the conversation itself, considering _he_ is the said serial killer.

"That's horrible. Who would do such a thing?" one of the sons spoke, but Tsuna didn't glance to see who.

"So even children aren't spared? That's disgusting."

Timoteo smiled softly, "Well, I'm glad you two are safe here from the killer. Perhaps when you get back, the murderer could have already been brought to justice."

'Doubt it.' Tsuna thought, his eyes momentarily drifting to the side where the God was standing. There was a thirteenth victim already decided, just placing some adequate time in-between to get nothing linked.

"So, Tsuna," The brunet peered up once more, glancing towards Vongola Nono. "How do you feel about all of this? It must be hard since some of them were your classmates, right?"

He suddenly snorted, earning looks. "Honestly, I really don't care. I'm actually glad they were killed off."

" _Tsuna_!"

The brunet ignored the exasperated looks from both his parents, his father revealing more shock in his blue eyes. He wasn't entirely sure who had yelled out at his words, but he suspected it was both from the way they were staring at him. Timoteo and his family were now gawking, glimpsing amongst each other as if they didn't want to be here for this. Tsuna huffed, "Oh please, do you even know what they did to me every day?" He rolled his eyes and continued, "Probably not since you never really bothered to talk to me. All you repeat is whatever your so called friends say to you like a puppet."

"That's not true, Tsuna. I'm really concerned about you." That was a lie and everyone in the room could immediately tell. The strain in Nana's eyes to the twitching of his body in reaction to how her voice cracked were tell-tale signs. It made those that had noticed the uneasiness of their relationship at the beginning wonder just how bad between the two really was.

"That's a lie and we both know it!" the teenager sneered, eyes burning with rage as the temperature of the room rapidly dropped in return. "You don't bother with anything anymore! You just stay in bed or on the couch and stare out the damn window all day or listen to all the horrible gossip they say about us. You just take it in like it's the Holy Grail or something. You barely remember I'm even in the house with you! Even at dinner! And when you do, I have to lock myself in my bedroom to stay away from you!"

Tsuna was livid, he hadn't felt this way in a long time, not since the incident with the bullies that had started everything. He knew he should stop, to hold it all in, but sadly, things don't always work the way he wants them to.

So it happened and he had no intentions on letting it stop anytime soon.

"Do you remember what happened two weeks ago? You started clawing at my door with your bare fingers, screaming at me to get out. I have scratch marks all over my door because of you. Or that time you started banging at it with your fists for four hours until you started bleeding? Or that time you threw almost every plate in the house you could find?"

It was clear to everyone in the room, so fucking clear, that this conversation was taking a dark turn that they weren't sure they wanted to actually hear. Iemitsu stared between his son and his wife, unsure on how to react to this news. He couldn't believe that his darling sweet wife would do something like that or that his son had suffered so much. Things had deteriorated so horribly, to the point where they despised each other so glaringly.

"And you know what? I'm fucking glad that my classmates are dead. All they did was bully me! I would come back home black and blue, clothes all torn up, covered in dirt, my stuff all destroyed, to be accused of all of this, everything, of being _my_ fault! That I deserved to be ridiculed and tormented day in and day out, at home and at school. And your so called-friends aren't really your friends. You were just lying and deluding yourself into believing so despite it being so obvious. Do you even know what they said behind your back every time you walked away?" Tsuna's verbal attack was relentless and yet no one stood up to stop him from continuing. "That you are a whore or that you were just a fling and was thrown away like a useless toy once Dad got bored of you. That your husband abandoned us because we weren't worth it or that he took advantage of you because you were gullible and easy. There's so many I can't even list them all. And you just laughed along with them when they had the nerve to say it to your face like it was nothing wrong. Even when they made fun of me, your son, you just agreed with whatever they were saying!"

Tsuna took a deep breath, trying to stop himself, but on the inside, he didn't want to. He wanted to let it all out at last, all these emotions he had been building up since long ago. He had contained it, controlled it, kept it buried underneath, but now...now he couldn't care less. His entire body was shaking, his eyes momentarily glaring orange, enough so to catch Timoteo's attention, though the elder remained quiet. He spoke in an even calmness that sent shivers down everyone's spine, even Xanxus couldn't help but shift in his chair at the low tone.

"And we both knew exactly _why_ you want me to get out of the house, to go outside. You want me to become the next victim of the serial killer." There, he said it. He had finally spoken the truth for the world to hear. Startled looks were shared at that admission and Nana's guilty little face proved it all to be true. His mother's eyes were wide in fear, hands raised up against her cheeks, and it looked like she really wanted to deny everything. She couldn't though because even she knew it was true. Tsuna continued, "If that happens, I would be out of your hair forever and maybe Dad will come back home to whisk you away from the hell hole named Namimori. Well, guess what, Mom? I have no intention on heading to high school. I doubt my horrible grades will even allow me in anyway so I'll be leaving home the second I'm done. I don't know what I plan on doing or going, but I'll disappear from your pathetic life. In just a little longer, you can be rid of me forever. _Congratulations_."

No one spoke, only silence left behind.

Sneering, Tsuna stood up from his seat, his voice filled with sarcasm, and pushed the chair in soon after. "I'm done with dinner so I'm going to return to my room early." With that, he stormed out, well aware that Sinister was following behind.

About ten minutes after he left, Nana got up, stating that she didn't feel well and wanted to retire early. Everyone in the room knew the real reason, the guilt ridden expression so apparent, but no one spoke. When the doors closed shut, Timoteo peered at his external advisor forlornly.

"Your family has fallen apart, Iemitsu, and has been since you've been gone." Vongola Nono sighed heavily, the weight of Tsuna's words hanging at the recesses of his mind. "I don't know if there's any way to repair the damage that's been done."

"I know." The blond's shoulders slumped downward, still trying to process everything that had just happened. It wasn't easy. There was just too much to handle all at once, but he knew that his so-called family life no longer existed. It was burning, still is even now. "I know..."

* * *

A week passed by quickly, filled with vicious quarreling between the entire family as Iemitsu was constantly dragged into the center. It was almost unheard of at this point within the Vongola mansion and the relation between each individual simply fell further apart. If they weren't arguing, they were avoiding each other to the best of their abilities, never appearing in the same room together unless necessary. Word had passed quickly among the residents of the mansion of what was happening and Timoteo could only groan in frustration at the chaos it created. The trip that was meant to bring the Sawada family together was instead tearing them apart.

Halfway in the vacation, Iemitsu had enough of everything, fed up of all the yelling, and left the main building. He was tired of everything, of the arguing, of the glaring, and refused to return despite the desperate calls of his wife. He needed to return to the business he could actually function at, pushing all issues regarding his family aside. This only made things much, _much,_ worse.

Believing that Iemitsu had finally abandoned her and with a little nudge from Tsuna's harsh words, Nana finally broke down.

Without a second thought and desperate for escape, Nana took her own life.

Or so that was what everyone thought.

Nana had jumped off the rooftop of Vongola mansion in the middle the night, splattering against the hard unforgiving ground like an egg, never to be put back together.

And Tsuna just laughed.

Though, he at least had the decency to hold it in when in front of the broken corpse surrounded by wandering eyes.

* * *

The funeral service had been quick to pull together and despite the very fact that Nana was his mother, Tsuna refused to show up. Well, he attempted until he was forced by some of Iemitsu's men, who dragged him through the front doors of the church until he reached the casket. He didn't offer anything to the open corpse, peering down at the obviously stitched and heavily makeup features to make Nana appear as peaceful as possible. However, it didn't matter in the end. She was dead after all.

He resisted the notion of tearing down the casket, to shove it off the stand, and set it on fire to watch it burn. He wanted to watch as Nana's precious skin turned to ash, as she shriveled up from the scorching heat, and become nothing. Instead, he spoke, "I hope you burn in Hell."

Sinister grinned, " _I'll make sure of it for you, Sawada Tsunayoshi_."

Screaming this time, "I hope you rot and suffer for all you've done to me!"

He was promptly dragged away by the same people that had pulled him in. He didn't fight, knowing it wasn't worth the effort, and glanced towards his father's horrified face. He smiled menacingly as he went by, laughing as he did so. The madness he had pushed down, sealed shut within himself to appear normal, had begun to ooze out. Tsuna grinned, eyes wide with glee as he stared at his father. "We both know you're just going to send me back home. You don't want me. My own mother doesn't want me! After all, she killed herself to get away from me! And I know you're just going to send me back because you'd rather work than spend time with the family you've abandoned and destroyed!"

The truth burned and he simply laughed, finding the various stunned expressions on Iemitsu's face absolutely entertaining. The brunet ignored the strange looks he received from the surrounding people that obviously worked with his father. They didn't matter, none of them did. He did glance over towards an odd group of babies that were huddled together on top of a table, wondering what they were doing here. It didn't stay long in his mind before his orange-tinted eyes peered back at the blond male before him.

Just as the church doors closed shut, Tsuna was able to utter one last speech. "Why don't you just book me a damn flight back and I'll be out of your hair permanently? You'll never have to see me again. Then you can mourn your dead wife all you want."

Iemitsu did just that and Tsuna immediately left to head back to Japan the same day of the funereal.

* * *

When Tsuna reached the house, he took one step inside before sneering angrily. He hated it here. He hated everything about this place. Within moments of his arrival, he promptly sent the death certificate and information to the banks and government regarding his mother's death so he could acquire the remaining funds he needed to survive for the time being. His father had simply signed everything away, not wanting to bother with his son, and Tsuna was grateful that everything actually ran smoothly in the processing. Once everything had been cleared, that everything that been transferred over to his name, he set his plans into action.

It was easy really, a little of gas from the oven and then a burning piece of paper in the toaster. That was it. That was all that needed to occur to get exactly what he wanted.

Tsuna had promptly set his house on fire and stood outside in wonder to watch it all burn to ashes.

He laughed and laughed and laughed some more as the flames scorched everything it touched.

A mad glint decorated his eyes as he peered into the fire, the glare of the blaze reflecting off. He stood there and watched as everything disappeared, never to return to him. He didn't budge an inch when people started to gather or when someone had called for the fire department.

It didn't matter. It was too late. There was nothing left inside that could possibly be salvageable. He had even allowed the cult book to be burned, never wanting anyone else out there in the world to access these powers that were considered his and his alone. Sinister didn't seem to care, chuckling in the background humorously.

It was about time he started a change to his life.

As the police pulled him further away from the burning building and the firefighters came rushing forward, he could only smile in delight.

Yes, things were going to change.

He would make sure of that.


	3. Chapter 3

There weren't many people that were willing to take Tsuna in after everything that had happened or simply because of his status as Dame. He could literally count the number of people on one hand and they were all just 'might', not 'will'. The police couldn't connect the fire as one with intentions except that it had originated in the kitchen and he was smart enough to leave everything behind to keep any suspicion off of him. He did admit to the police that he had been trying to cook his dinner during that time when the fire started but must have left one of the stoves on by accident afterward. It was all lies, considering he had done everything on purpose, but no one could tell the difference since he well known as Dame-Tsuna. The policemen that took him down to the station promptly believed his story and so all that was left was to figure out who would take him in (leaving the issues regarding insurance and others as such to one of the assistants).

His father was obviously unreachable and it wasn't as if the fool would leave a working number to connect with him anyway. It was also already known to the entirety of Namimori that his mother was dead, no relatives on her side to ship him off to. Unless someone offered to take him in, he would be forced to a foster care system or simply have to find his own place with some help (though Tsuna wisely kept his mouth shut on the amount of money he had in his accounts after retrieving the information once the banks had handed it all over).

Oddly enough, it ended up being Yamamoto Tsuyoshi that welcomed him into his home. Tsuna hadn't expected it, considering he had rarely interacted with the Yamamoto family, but he wasn't going to turn away a good offer. Since the household wasn't large, Tsuna ended up sharing the bedroom with Tsuyoshi's only son, Takeshi. The black-haired teen was a student in the same class as him and, from his memories, he knew the other wasn't one of those that had bullied him. Luckily, Takeshi didn't mind the extra presence and seemed to accept him openly with a warm smile, literally dragging Tsuna into his room to help him get settled in the second he stepped within the compound. It was an odd arrangement as the brunet had never really been to another person's house (Who wanted to hang out with Dame-Tsuna, after all?), but Tsuna wasn't about to complain. It was definitely better than how it had been at home with his mother and going into foster care. Still, Tsuna didn't quite open up willingly to Takeshi, keeping mostly to himself, despite the other's constant attempts to break through his barriers.

A month quickly passed by and Tsuna easily slipped into a routine with the Yamamotos. Refusing to stay at the house for free, he helped out at the connected restaurant by cleaning dishes and tables and showing people to their seats. He didn't want to be in anyone's debt and the work helped kept his minds off of things from his past, letting him focus on something other than the bubbling madness in the back of his mind. School continued on and the killings slowly died down (most of the people he hated were already long gone). With fewer murders, people began to relax and ease back into their previous life before everything started, almost like it had never occurred. It was like they accepted the change, the deaths of those they had once known, and solely believed that whoever had been doing the murderers had finally gotten bored. That suited just fine with Tsuna and he left it alone, knowing that the people Namimori was exactly like this. It was like some sort of poison that infiltrated their minds, keeping them dull and lifeless.

Surprisingly, as months passed by, he got along surprisingly well with the two Yamamotos and for once in a long time, he began to smile like how he had used to when he was younger, before everything terrible had morphed him into his current self. They supported him constantly, always asking if he needed anything (which Tsuna had to politely refuse each and every time), and welcomed him to join their activities in the dojo that was behind both the house and restaurant (he normally just observed as father and son as they dueled each other with wooden swords). It was peaceful and the anger he felt towards everyone in Namimori crumbled away.

The murders had completely stopped as he felt no need to continue and yet, he refused to let up on his worship to Sinister out of respect. He had absolutely no intention of ever stopping after everything the other had done for him, granting the brunet a new life. Even though the creature had nothing to do but observe, Sinister never left his side. He remained faded in the background, whispering words to him now and then, and in the end, became a friendly presence that Tsuna relished.

With his daily routine, eventually he was bound to get caught by someone.

"I didn't take you as the religious type, Tsuna." Takeshi asked in the safety of their shared room, his eyes peering over the brunet carefully and in curiosity. He had gotten quite attached to the other, kinda looking up at him for how the teenager was able to keep going despite all the apparent tragedy surrounding him. It was amazing in its own way, how strong the other could be. However, he wasn't sure how the other felt towards him as there was always a bitter coldness that kept him away. Takeshi didn't exactly understand why the other had changed so much, but some offered words from his father had mentioned that perhaps Tsuna needed more time to recover, adjust, and learn to trust once more after his own father had outright abandoned him after his mother died.

Despite everything, the two teenagers had slipped into a familiarity of sorts, considering they were sleeping in the same room. They did almost everything together since it was easier and less time consuming then to go separate. It didn't matter what, walking to and from school, eating meals, even handling homework together. People had thought the two were an odd pair, but they eventually accepted it and left the two alone (Tsuna more so since they didn't want to pick on him while Takeshi was always close by).

Tsuna was settled on the very edge bed and glanced up, startled when the black-haired teen had walked in on him, asking him that single question. He wasn't kneeling or anything that would automatically give him away except for the intertwined fingers before him. The brunet blinked once. "I'm not really. I also don't worship any God you're familiar with, I worship my own."

Takeshi scrunched his face in confusion, not quite understanding what Tsuna meant. "Your...own?"

"Yeah..." Trailing off, Tsuna didn't want to exactly reveal the true nature of his so-called religion. However, much as hated to admit it, he had honestly gotten close to the other without meaning to. He didn't want Takeshi to reject him despite his many attempts in keeping the other at a distance, the constantly smiling teenager always returning back to nudge further. It was hard to hate someone that sincerely had good intentions. His honey-colored eyes peered over the other curiously, trying to figure what he was supposed to do in this situation. Something in the back of his mind answered for him, it told him that it would be okay. It was like little whispers and he closed his eyes momentarily to listen closer. The whispers had been happening more often and it had all started after the visit at the Vongola mansion, constantly talking to him about certain matters. They were generally correct, but that didn't mean Tsuna wanted to follow its very direction.

" _Go on_."

Tsuna's eyes widened momentarily as they snapped open in shock. That voice... It had been... Smiling softly to him, he peered up at Takeshi and finally gave an answer. "Truthfully, it's more of a cult though. I'm not entirely sure considering I'm the only member at this time."

"A...cult?" Now the teen was really confused and shifted closer to Tsuna's right side, settling onto the bed beside him to be closer. "I don't understand."

"I worship an Evil God that could possibly be a demon."

Takeshi blinked twice, trying to think of an answer, and yet the only thing that slipping through his lips was: " _Why_?"

The question was innocent. Why would he do such a thing? It sounded crazy after all and yet, the answer was obvious to Tsuna himself. "Because he actually helps me."

Takeshi still didn't understand. How had this God helped considering Tsuna's horrible life track record? His mother was dead. His house was burned down. His father had abandoned him on the day of the funeral. He was constantly bullied (though that was rare considering people's fear of the killer still out there). Where was the good? The help? He didn't get it.

Tsuna sighed, understanding the confusion that Takeshi was probably suffering from. It wasn't exactly easy to explain without going into all the murders that Sinister had caused to make him _this_ happy about his current life. "It's not easy to explain everything unless you know everything that has happened to me. I wouldn't even know where to start and even if I did, you'll just think I'm crazy and deserve to be locked up. Or be reported to the police for everything I've done."

Takeshi twitched his nose, remaining where he was at. "How about at the beginning? Can't understand anything if I don't know how it came about. I might not exactly be the smartest person out there, but I can at least attempt to listen and try to figure out the meanings."

Tsuna did, starting with how his bleak relationships were with the entire Namimori and those that went to middle school with him. How the bullying he suffered finally broke him, how his relationship with his mother was already strained, how the normal people he visited tormented him continuously. He went on and on until he finally reached the point where he had burned his own house down, honestly admitting he had done that very thing when the police had ruled it out as an accident. He could see the clear disgust on Takeshi's face at the comments his mother had used on him, about her wish for him to be the next victim of the serial killer. He could see the sorrow of being left alone by his own father, the anger towards the bullies that tormented him every day. However, when he mentioned Sinister killing the people of the town, his own mother's death and how the God may have had played a role in it, he went quiet. It was a lot to take in, too much.

Takeshi's expression was frozen, trying to comprehend everything. It was a lot to take in, to understand and sort out. He got up from where he had been sitting beside the brunet and slipped to his own bed on the opposite side so he faced the other. He didn't say anything and Tsuna wasn't exactly sure on what to expect. He had let everything out, everything that could come back to haunt him permanently, and yet the voices in his head kept telling him that it was okay, that everything would work out just right.

"There hadn't been any killings for the last few months..." Those words were whispered so quietly, but Tsuna heard them just fine.

"Because I'm finally happy and free." His smile was sad, but meaningful. "I've gotten all I've ever wanted in my life...even if it's at the cost of someone else."

Takeshi's lips thinned into a straight line, his fingers squeezing together before him into a fist. It was so tight that the skin began to turn white. "I'm sorry, but can I think on this? It's a lot to take in."

Tsuna nodded, he had expected this. He couldn't blame the other. His story was nothing but death and destruction. There was no true happy ending and he suspected that fate had more in store for the future. "Sure, go right ahead. It's a lot to take in." He gave a nod of understanding and kept his gaze steady on the other teen.

Takeshi, of course, didn't reply as he kept his lips trapped in a thin line.

The brunet continued, "If you decide that you want me to leave this house, let me know. If you want to report me, please let me know in advance if possible so I can make a getaway. If you want to continue how things have been and forget everything about this conversation, that's fine too." He stood up from the bed, wanting to take a walk to get some air and to give Takeshi some time to get through things. Giving a small gentle smile towards the other, he cracked the bedroom door open. "But I'll happily admit this, I really do like you, Takeshi. I pushed you away because I was afraid of what you'd think of me when you found out about the truth, but at the same time, I wanted you to know as well. So whatever you decide, I'll accept it and move on from there. You have my promise that I won't harm you or your father for whatever your decision may be."

The black-haired teenager nodded once before Tsuna left the room entirely, closing the door behind him with a sharp click. Takeshi remained rooted to his spot on the bed, his mind repeating all the words in his head continuously in an endless loop.

He didn't wholly understand everything. It wasn't easy to do so for someone that hadn't experienced that much tragedy (his mother never counting as he hardly remembered her).

* * *

Three days later, Takeshi _finally_ understood.

He understood completely.

It was all because of a single incident and one that would scar him forever.

There had been a robbery during the middle of the night at Takesushi, three armed men wanting to steal the money that had been in the cash register. Takeshi and his father had walked in on it just as they opened it up, having heard unusual sounds coming from the front end of their house. The reaction between the two groups was instantaneous and Takeshi had to watch as his father was shot in the chest, trying desperately to protect him when the robbers had reacted violently.

Tsuna had arrived in the nick of time to order Sinister to take out the men, keeping them alive just so that there wouldn't be any odd questions. The God had somehow made it so that it looked like a person from outside came and went, hearing the gunshot and coming in to help. Moments later, the police and an ambulance arrived at the scene.

It grew worse for Takeshi when he had to watch his own father get hooked up to a ventilators to help him breathe, various lines and tubes connected to his body to keep him alive and functioning. When he was told that his father had fallen into a coma, Takeshi could only cry in despair and spent the next three nights beside his father's sleeping body, ignoring the constant sounds of various machines surrounding him. He refused to leave his only family member's side, abandoning school and home completely.

Tsuna, on the other hand, remained back at the restaurant, helping to keep things functioning smoothly. He didn't want his first real home to collapse underneath him and pushed himself to temporarily skip school. Sinister had gone silent, continuing to fade in and out of reality.

For a brief moment, Takeshi thought things would get a little better when he heard the three robbers that had caused everything, that had caused his father's destruction, would be placed on trial for their crimes. He was happy, they would get punished what they had done.

However, a week later, the men that caused all his hardship, that made his happy little world fall apart, were allowed to walk free with a literal slap on the wrist. They weren't even sentenced any jail time, just a small fine and community service. There was no coverage of it on the news, nothing that would tell the world just how wrong everything was. Everything had been shushed, silenced, and swept under the rug to rot.

Apparently, one of the robbers was the son of a big time politician in Japan and daddy obviously pulled some strings to keep everything hush-hush. That had been the very last straw. He would never get the justice he and his father needed, everything had already been decided for him.

Takeshi snapped.

* * *

"Tsuna."

The brunet peered up from where he had been praying in the dojo, hidden away from everyone that was still working at the restaurant. He had been keeping out of eye's view for Takeshi ever since he returned from the hospital, not wanting to place any additional pressure on the other teen, considering everything he was currently going through. Nevertheless, he had helped ease some of the frustration by taking over the restaurant and getting the workers to continue working. Since he didn't know a thing about spreadsheets and paychecks, he asked one of the workers to assist him, another to deal with the outside shipping orders, while he himself did everything else he could physically and mentally handle. At this time, he was taking a break.

Takeshi's voice was rough, filled with fury and resentment. He was shaking, those bright eyes darkened. His smile was gone, replaced with a sneer. "Teach me about your God. I want to worship him too."

Tsuna smiled softly and pulled Takeshi down beside him to his level as he went over the details of everything he knew and had learned about Sinister.

Two days later, three bodies were strung up for show to the police, re-sparking the fear for the serial killer once more. The next day, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi woke up from his coma and was alerted that he was going to make a successful recovery from his gunshot wound.

A week later, once Namimori had calmed back down and allowed students to return to school, Takeshi now went with a wrap bandage around his left forearm. On that first day, he immediately quit baseball entirely and began focusing on his swordsmanship so he could protect instead. The latter had been just for fun and for his father, but now...now it was time he stood up on his own as he had someone to protect. From then on, he never left Tsuna's side and sometimes, their classmates would wonder what the two teens were looking at when they peered up at the same corner of the room at the same time.

In the end, they left the two alone, everyone freaking out over the brand new killings.

* * *

The next person to find out about the cult was none other than Hibari Kyoya, the demon of Namimori. Tsuna had already noticed the suspicious looks towards him since the beginning, but now with the robber's death, it placed things into a more obvious connection to the one person that actually took notice. No one else did, however, as it wasn't that obvious, but Hibari had always been watchful, always listening, and he had taken notice of the changes occurring in Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was clear to him, even from a distance. He could sense the darkness, madness, and death that radiated from the brunet, clearly visible since Nana's death. Only those that were familiar with such things could recognize one another. For a fragment of time, it had almost disappeared when the brunet began hanging around Yamamoto Takeshi, the smiles brighter, a peaceful look settling on him. After the three murders, that same sensation came back and this time, the black-haired teen had it around him as well.

He made himself known when the two were hidden behind the back of the dojo, apparently praying to something he couldn't hear or understand. The raven had never been religious and felt like everything belonging to it was a fake, a lie to convince people to look for hope. People would pray for a miracle, for justice, for something, but where was it? Why was it that they prayed for something good only to be beaten down, raped, tortured, or kidnapped? Where was the good in something so pointless? Where was their reward? Or perhaps their God was an evil creature that didn't care? Maybe God was sadistic bastard, who enjoyed watching his own creations suffer. Hibari snorted, finding everything ridiculous. It was easier to do it himself and tear down those that would stand in his way.

"Herbivores." His voice snapped them into awareness, their bodies spinning around to face him. He immediately noticed the way Tsuna took an instantaneous step back while Takeshi did the opposite, reaching up for the handle of his sword strapped against his back. Hibari hummed gently to himself, curious. "Speak. You two know something regarding the serial killer. I demand that information or you'll be bitten to death."

Silence settled between the two groups and slowly, the two roommates peered at each other, knowing very well they had been caught in the act. Regardless, they didn't respond to the threat. Tsuna was the one that moved first though, shifting forward so he was beside his companion, face confident despite recognizing the terror of Hibari Kyoya. The raven could read it in the eyes, Tsuna didn't fear him, no, he respected him. The brunet closed his eyes for a moment, once more listening to the voices in his head, and then smiled softly. He didn't understand why they told him to trust this black-haired teen and he wasn't getting anything back from Sinister. However, he wasn't going to make this easier for the other.

"We'll tell you everything under one condition." Still nothing told him otherwise and he continued, "When you feel the sense of powerlessness, of despair, of desire, of desperation, of death, come back to us and you'll learn everything. The truth, of course. That I can promise. If you don't then you'll never understand my words. Whatever we tell you will simply go over your head. Not because you're not smart or anything like that, but because you won't get the meaning. We know exactly why we did what we did." Tsuna placed his hands against his chest and nodded to himself. "But you won't."

Honestly, it was vague and Tsuna was certain the other was familiar with all he had mentioned. He fought to protect that which mattered to him because he knew about being powerless, having lost someone that was considered important. Still, that didn't mean anything to the brunet. He wanted to make sure, to be absolutely certain that the other wouldn't betray him.

Hibari sneered, about to reach down for his tonfas that were hidden underneath his jacket, desiring nothing more than to beat the information out. He was more familiar with this route. Just as he was reaching underneath, the dark glint in Takeshi's eyes made him pause immediately, eyes narrowing as he examined over the other individual. He could tell instantly that the black-haired teen would fight him to the very death if needed to protect the brunet and said information they were withholding. Such loyalty the other held for the tiny brunet. It made Hibari want to fight simply because he could, to push those boundaries to the very brink.

Tsuna smiled. "I promise to tell you everything and I won't break it. Once you learn the truth, you'll understand completely."

Hibari was going to demand more when Tsuyoshi suddenly called out for the two teenagers, obviously wondering where the two had wandered off to. Hibari huffed in disappointment, but left soon after. The glare he sent them told the other teenagers that he would be back to continue this conversation.

Except, he didn't come back.

Not for two weeks...

* * *

Namimori had been left in wonder, questioning the sudden disappearance of the infamous and vicious skylark. It was enough that even Tsuna and Takeshi began to poke around the school curiously to see if they could catch a glimpse of the other. It wasn't likely for Hibari to vanish out of nowhere, especially considering the teens were fully expecting to be hounded. Tsuna had momentarily traded remarks with Sinister, seeing if the other had to do with the disappearance, but the being simply grinned crookedly. It was difficult as always to read the other, but the buzzing in his head kept telling him that the God had interfered in some way out of normal eyes' view. The Disciplinary Committee managed to function well on its own without its boss around, still bringing order to the town. When asked, they were tight-lipped around anything involving Hibari, making it difficult for anyone to gather information. Still, they waited, keeping an eye out for the familiar figure that would eventually resurface.

On the end of the second week, he appeared before them while on their way home from school. Hibari was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed shut as if sleeping (though anyone that saw him knew better) and his arms crossed against his chest. He looked almost peaceful in that state, but Tsuna and Takeshi knew instantaneously that there was something horribly wrong. From the way his hands were clenched tightly against his arms to the narrowing of his eyebrows from underneath the hairline as if concentrating, it was clear the other had been through something, something that had been hidden tremendously well under all the roughness.

The two teens peered at each other before stepping forward, only stopping when they got close enough to the individual. Hibari glanced up once they reached a certain gap and simply stared before huffing in annoyance. They shared a glance as if conveying something through their eyes only before Tsuna smiled softly and kept walking, knowing that Hibari would follow beside them at a distance. Takeshi simply smiled along, not minding that their little party/cult group had just grown by one. If anything, he was happy that he could add another true friend to his small list.

They didn't ask what happened, accepting the skylark into their group readily and Tsuna was content. He had gained another friend.

Life had definitely morphed for the better.

* * *

Months went by and the next school year started. Takeshi and Tsuna remained heavily close, attached by an arm's length, while Hibari was usually seen hanging around nearby or keeping an eye on the two from a distance. It became clear to many that Hibari was favoring these two individuals among the rest of the town population, allowing them to head up to the rooftop of the school to join him or even into the committee room to crash. Sometimes, people would catch the sounds of metal banging against metal, of a sword crashing against tonfa. They quickly dissipated, not wanting to get roped up in anything relating Hibari. Other times, they could see Tsuna dodging attacks from the skylark, smiling softly as he did so. They also didn't understand why the three teens would look where there was nothing, as if listening to something speak.

No one asked why nor voiced their opinion in front of the three, afraid of the consequences. It was clear there was some sort of barrier between them and the rest of the world. Kusakabe had been the only one brave enough to question once in the background, hidden from all ears and eyes, but Hibari never answered.

Tsuna, however, did though, vaguely. "It's because we get each other on a level others don't. We know how it feels. That's really all I can say on the matter."

It wasn't much, but Kusakabe left it alone when he noticed just how comfortable Hibari was around them. He continued to remain silent even when he spotted a tattoo of something on Hibari's lower right back, the one time the jacket and shirt rode up during battle, choosing to ignore it. If Hibari was pleased, that was all that really mattered.

* * *

Tsuna was happy. Things was beginning to look upward to a new direction.

However, he should have known better.

Life liked to be a little bitch.

Always.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by Pure Red Cane

Within weeks, Tsuna found out very quickly that Sinister was extremely picky about who he allowed in and not into the group. It was strange, but at the same time, not. Still, it left the brunet bubbling in confusion. He wanted more people, more friends, more like him. Multiple times, Tsuna had attempted to talk to someone who seemed to share some similar views only to be bluntly denied by the other being.

" _That one isn't a good candidate. Leave that one to suffer_."

Tsuna had, of course, questioned it. He didn't like the thought of leaving someone else to be in such pain when he could do something about it.

" _He'll use me for intents I don't want to be used for. He'll speak of our secrets for the world to hear."_

The brunet didn't understand the first part at all. What intents? It couldn't be good, that's for sure. However, hadn't he himself been doing nothing but evil? Bad stuff? Tsuna knew that killing off the people that had harassed him couldn't be good (which had long stopped now since there was really no one else left to bother him) and as far as he was aware, murder was still considered horrible. It didn't make much sense.

The creature read him easily and chuckled. " _There's a difference between killing to protect yourself, for revenge, to save someone, then what that one intends_." Sinister continued to grin like always. " _He wouldn't be able to see me anyway, only certain people can, and I refuse to help those that don't meet my requirements_."

Nodding, Tsuna continued on, ignoring the person completely and placed the individual out of his mind. He didn't even bat an eyelash when the other had later committed suicide. Tsuna had no plans on questioning too much on the being that had literally given him a new life. He had friends now, people that actually cared for him. He was happy, so very happy. His smiles were more apparent among others despite his failing grades. He did, after all, have no intention on continuing with school since he knew he wouldn't make it through the entrance exam for high school. He would work, find a job that would allow him to, and make do with his life. He had accepted that of himself, that he wouldn't get far in life, and he was completely fine with that.

However, Tsuna should have known better.

Life liked to be a little bitch.

Always.

And it burned everything he knew to the ground continuously, kicking him down into dirt out of amusement.

When he was halfway into his last year of middle school, a bunch of new students suddenly transferred in from a neighboring institution. Apparently, a fire had broken out, destroying half of the classrooms, and leaving the students to relocate to another school while the district rebuilt what had been burned down. No one had any issues with the transfer students at first, but slowly fights began to break out. They became more and more frequent until it was almost a regular occurrence. Supplies were short, too many students in one class for a single teacher to handle. It overwhelmed the Disciplinary committee, spreading too thin to handle the rapid aggression.

It eventually led to Tsuna, still called Dame-Tsuna by his peers, to be bullied once more. The transfer students hadn't quite learned about the terror filling nature of Hibari, where the rest of those that did, complied in leaving the brunet alone. It had been an accident and yet not at the same time of what happened afterwards.

Tsuna didn't want people to pick on Takeshi because he had quit baseball and was hanging out with him instead. The brunet had accepted that he had some invisible target on the back of his head that told people to pick on him and he was severely grateful for the other for sticking up for him. However, that always caused the attention to drift from him to the other in response.

A bunch of students that belonged to the other school immediately surrounded the black haired teen after class, the bell ringing in the background. The teacher had taken one look at the setting before walking out, not wanting to deal with anything and shut the door behind, basically giving the okay for the bullies to continue. The rest of the students scattered to the side, not quite wanting to leave, but not wanting to get too close to the situation at hand.

"Why the hell are you hanging out with Dame-Tsuna? It doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah, you should just leave him alone. You'll catch his stupidity."

"Oh, wait. He's already stupid, remember? His grades are about as abysmal as Dame-Tsuna's!"

The bullies laughed in amusement and Takeshi could only sneer angrily. "Don't call Tsuna 'dame.' He's a great guy and none of you will ever understand that. All you do is make fun of him!"

They laughed some more. "He must really have caught his stupidity after all!"

"Both of them are absolutely useless in life. At least you had baseball to work with, but that's all gone now since you up and quit last year from what I've heard. You're just as useless as Dame-Tsuna now!"

Takeshi's growl sent shivers down everyone's spine, at least those that were simply watching the group. Tsuna stood off to the side, uncertain on what to do, but the burning sensation in his eyes said everything he felt on this matter. He hated people like this, those that wanted to harm others just because they could. He hated them all...

It was during that time that one of the bullies separated from the group and reached over to grab Tsuna by the hair, yanking him over roughly. A startled pained gasp escaped his lips and instantly his fingers reached up to yank the other off, his nails biting into the skin. However, he had no real strength in his arms and he couldn't pry the hands off. That didn't mean he would stopped struggling though.

"Here's your problem, Yamamoto. You just need to get rid of Dame-Tsuna, that's all, and all your issues will be completely solved!"

"Tsuna!" Takeshi immediately dashed forward, his left hand grasping the bully's arm that held Tsuna while his right went back behind him to form a fist. Within seconds, he was already landing a punch and listened as a sickening crack was heard, the grip loosening its grip on Tsuna in return. The bully screamed, his nose obviously broken as evidence of its crooked form and by the blood that came gushing out. The others reacted immediately in return. Two surrounded Takeshi and held him back, ignoring the 'let go!' he was yelling in frustration while the fourth and fifth proceeded to punch him in the face and stomach in retaliation. The sixth was on the floor beside the first one that had fallen, trying to assess the seriousness of the wound and offer warm words.

Tsuna stood up from where he had fallen to stare at the ones that were harming his best friend, sneering angrily. He was weak, he knew that, and he absolutely hated that. He hated everything about himself. Why couldn't he be smarter, stronger, better than others? Why did he always have to be so weak? Even with some of the training he had taken up with Hibari, he was still so much farther behind than anyone else. He hated it. He hated all of it.

Still, as much as he hated himself, he hated everyone else more.

Especially those that would harm those he cared for.

His eyes instinctively burned orange and he automatically reached to the side where a pair of scissors was settled innocently on a student's desk within a see-through pencil box. He wrapped his fingers around the handle and stared at the scene a little longer as if comprehending his decision that could very well end poorly.

Takeshi was still trying to fight back, struggling within the grasps. The rest of the student population was simply watching, listening to the sickening laughter of the four that were causing pain to the popular teenager in the center.

Without any ounce of hesitation, Tsuna acted and plunged the end of the scissors into the third bully's stomach just before the other hand hit Takeshi once more in the face. The startled yelp that followed and the tumble backwards gained everyone's attention to the seething brunet now in the center. Tsuna held the bloodied blades in his hands, ignoring the way the copper-scented fluid dripped down his fingers with eyes glowing ethereally orange. He was shaking both from fright and rage and everyone scattered instantly. Takeshi collapsed to the floor, gazing up at his friend in awe, eyes wide with wonder. Tsuna had stabbed someone, he had been willing to kill someone for him, and that made it all the better as his heart fluttered at the mere thought. The bully that had been stabbed gasped, falling back and immediately placed a hand on his bleeding wound. It hadn't been deep as the scissors were short and dull, but it still could do damage to a human body regardless.

"You little shit!" The fourth went forward, appearing like he was going to retaliate, but stopped the second the blade turned towards him.

"I won't let anyone hurt my friends!" Tsuna screamed. "I won't!" His shaking was so obviously apparent and everyone simply thought he was scared. However, no, Tsuna was raging. The frightened sensation he had felt earlier was gone, whisked away at the deed he had created. Every cell in his body burned with abhorrence, his thoughts filled to the brim with the desire to kill, kill, _kill_. Tsuna was _pissed_ and he fully intended to harm anyone that dared to get close to those he considered precious.

"You'll pay for that, Dame-Tsuna!" the one he had stabbed yelled out. "You'll go to jail! You'll be expelled. It's not as if you'll be going anywhere else anyway, you worthless piece of shit!"

"Hey! Tsuna is anything but that!" Takeshi defended from behind, slowly getting up to his feet. He cradled parts of his body, taking it slow. "Tsuna is the best friend I've ever had. He's nothing like you assholes that just want to hang out around me for my popularity! He saw me for _me_ and I won't let anyone use me again!"

"Tough shit, Yamamoto! Go cry home, you bastard!" The second one laughed. "But Dame-Tsuna will definitely be expelled from this school for this. Just you wait. And so will you at the end of the day!"

Tsuna sneered, his grip tightening around the handle. This is why he hated people, they were all jerks. Only a rare few were good, but the rest...the rest deserved to burn in hell and suffer for all eternity.

The glow in his eyes swirled from his emotions just for a moment, his rage almost uncontrolled and yet despite all of that hate that was burning within him, he wanted nothing more than to protect his dear friend. Takeshi had accepted him, had understood him, had been willing to go along with his madness. He wasn't going to let that go, not without a struggle that would end in someone's death.

Something cracked within him, barely audible over the echoed sounds of laughter that Tsuna connected with Sinister's, and then promptly shattered.

The demon, who had been standing in the corner, observing, was laughing. It was such a dark laughter that both Tsuna and Takeshi froze at the horrid sound, but the two teens knew it was instinctively foolish to turn away during a fight.

" _Ah, the seal is finally broken_."

As he spoke, the door to the classroom spun open to reveal Hibari. Only those near the skylark were aware of his presence, the chaos too engulfing for them to look elsewhere than the center of attention. Everyone was too frozen to do anything but watch.

Sinister grinned widely, his ominous voice overpowering the whispers. " _Now, we can finally do something, Sawada Tsunayoshi! I shall grant you a little push in power. You'll need it for the future_."

Tsuna barely heard anything as a roaring sensation swept through his entire body. Despite that, his eyes remained on the group before him. Only words were echoing in his mind.

 _Burn_.

They deserved to burn.

They had hurt someone close to him.

And they needed to pay for it.

Tsuna blinked as something orange blazed before him and snapped him out of his little trance. He took a hesitating step back towards his friend and stared.

There was someone screaming and _fire_.

A powerful, all-encompassing fire.

One of the bullies was burning in flames that looked orange in color, nowhere close to that familiar red. He was screeching in pure terror and pain, running around the room desperately attempting to snuff out the flames.

Except these flames weren't normal. They didn't go out.

Everyone just stared for a few seconds before fear settled in. They shouted in horror as realization settled into their very bones. Tsuna just watched as the person fumbled around desperately in the room, unable to stop the orange fire that was quickly consuming his entire body. Takeshi behind him did the same, even Hibari. They knew it could only have been Tsuna that had done it. But how? How had fire suddenly sprung out of nowhere?

Hibari reacted within seconds of pushing aside his astonish, barreling through the classroom to grab both the brunet and baseball player. He promptly dragged both of them out just as others were running out to search for help, but all three knew it was too late to save the bully. As Hibari pulled them out, he placed them to the side in the opposite classroom, and stared at the two. His eyes eventually settled solely on the brunet, the one that had changed everything in Namimori. It was like he was creating chaos wherever he went, meaning to or not.

Hibari smirked, he liked chaos. He liked destruction. He loved the sensation and thrill it brought. He knew he would like the fights that would eventually get involved in the future. Sawada Tsunayoshi would either bring destruction or salvation to the world and Hibari would follow the brunet either way. Both options sounded amusing to him. The brunet is just too interesting to miss and suddenly him having the ability to spontaneously combust a person, now _that_ was something utterly _fascinating_.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari's voice was stern and forceful. The brunet's orange eyes had turned back to their original honey color, the confusion clear within them. "Do not tell anyone of what you've just done. You must lie to protect yourself. If they ask, you deny knowing anything. I'll handle everything else."

"H-Hibari..." Tsuna was frightened, both at himself and the memory of the burning teen finally collapsing to the ground, turning black. "I don't even know what I did."

"Good, then you can't admit it. I doubt they'll be able to connect you to this, but I'll make sure of it." Hibari nodded once before heading off, knowing he needed to stabilize the situation and the burnt body in the classroom didn't help.

* * *

He had been hospitalized. Tsuna didn't understand why, but he guessed the cuts and bruises on his face made them want to keep him instead of letting him go. They were considering him as a traumatized victim as he had a front row seat of the burning. The only thing that made him worry was the fact that he had been handcuffed to the bed. Apparently, stabbing someone earned him that. Luckily, the police hadn't been able to convict him of the fire as everyone else who had seen the _show_ said that the boy had simply combusted into flames and they all agreed that Tsuna hadn't even been close enough to the person to do such a deed. There was no lighters, no oil, no nothing that proved what happened. With Tsuna and his friends remaining quiet on the details, there was, indeed, no connection.

Still, being chained to a hospital bed didn't make him all that happy.

The door opened and Tsuna froze, unsure of who it could be. He had been continuously interrogated by both doctors and police alike, trying to assess his situation. He didn't give anything much, just the basics and that was really all they wanted before leaving.

So when a familiar face peeked through the door, Tsuna brightened up. "Yamamoto!" Tsuna grinned at the sight of Tsuyoshi and shifted a little in bed. "How is Takeshi? Is he alright? He wasn't hurt too badly was he?" His worry clouded him momentarily before looking down at the bed when he realized what he was doing. "I-I'm so sorry for causing trouble! I didn't mean to."

A resounding sigh followed, Tsuyoshi rubbing in-between his eyes, and it was at that one motion that Tsuna went silent. "Why are you apologizing, Tsuna?" Shaking his head, the adult simply smiled. "I should be thanking you. You stood up for my son and defended him...even if your methods were a little off."

Tsuna flushed. "S-Sorry. I acted rashly. They were holding him down and beating him. I just grabbed the nearest object without thinking."

"Regardless, you have my thanks." Tsuyoshi reached over, stepping close enough, and patted the brunet on the head. He ruffled the locks tenderly. "So heal up, get everything straightened out, and come back home, alright?"

The brunet smiled. "Okay!"

Despite the ghastly position, Tsuna couldn't be any happier.

* * *

Everything was going great for once. Takeshi had come in a few hours later, covered in bandages, but all right. They had a mini-celebration with sushi before the black haired teen revealed that Hibari had forced all the charges against him to drop. He wasn't going to get in trouble with the stabbing, though he would be suspended from school for at least a week as punishment. That suited Tsuna just fine and for a few seconds, the brunet had caught the fleeting glance of the skylark peering from behind his door. Truly, things had changed for the better even with such an event occurring in school. The handcuffs chaining him to the bed eventually came off when the doctors approved of his mental health and Tsuna was able to move about freely in his room and floor (still unable to leave the unit unless he wanted to be escorted forcefully by security back).

As things were beginning to look towards the better, it wasn't long before he was discharged and shipped back to Takesushi to be once more under the care of the Yamamoto's. Tsuna was completely grateful that they were still willing to take him in after all he had done and accepted that perhaps he would have a family he never really had.

People at school avoided him now, no one daring to meet the same fate as their now deceased classmate. They took it to calling him cursed or something, but never to his face, just whispering amongst each other fearfully. That suited Tsuna just fine, he didn't care much.

Sinister simply hung around these days, sliding in and out of existence as there hadn't been much for him to do after the incident.

Ever since he found that little brown book, things had been looking brighter and he could feel emotions he hadn't felt in such a long time. He was... happy. He had two friends that were both close and dear to him and a somewhat parent that was willing to take care of him and actually provide. Sure, he had to work to stay in his new home, but that suited him just fine. They had done so much for him, it was only right that he returned it.

Still, Tsuna knew that his happy life wouldn't last forever. There was always the issue with his so-called father to deal with, but for now, he would enjoy his newfound life. Later on, he would watch his old man burn, painfully, slowly, and agonizingly, filled with enjoyment at the destruction he was birthing.

After all, he had a God on his side. He could do whatever he wanted now.

Anyone that dared attempt to upset the balance of his world would face their doom, either by his hands or by Sinister's. He could just feel the entire world shutter in revelation as a new power sipped through the cracks and spilled over, Kawahira raising his head up from his bowl of noodles as he felt the Tri-Ni-Sette whisper out in terror.

There would be hell to pay and Tsuna would get the last laugh.

He was going to keep his new life safe and burn those that got in his way.

 _No matter what_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite the ending people were hoping for but this fic wasn't meant for long term. This is the appropriate ending without leaving it too much off.


End file.
